1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions are related to portable computers and media storage and playback devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio data is frequently transmitted and stored in compressed (or xe2x80x9cencodedxe2x80x9d) formats such as MP3 (i.e. the third audio layer of MPEG compression), Real Audio G2 and Microsoft Windows Media, while audio/video data is frequently transmitted and stored compressed formats such as, for example, MPEG and Real Video G2. One of the most popular methods of obtaining encoded data files, such as files that contain recorded musical works, is using the Internet to download the files onto a personal computer. The downloaded files are stored on the personal computer""s hard drive (or other storage medium) and, when playback is desired, the files are retrieved from the hard drive and decompressed (or xe2x80x9cdecodedxe2x80x9d).
The relatively small size of these files has allowed users to transform their personal computers into musical jukeboxes. Nevertheless, the use and enjoyment of compressed audio and audio/video data files was originally somewhat inconvenient because personal computers are, for all practical purposes, immobile. More recently, portable handheld devices which are capable of storing compressed digital audio data and decompressing the data when playback is desired have become almost ubiquitous. Commercially available portable audio storage and playback devices include, for example, the Intel Pocket Concert Audio Player, the Sonicblue Rio 600 USB Blue, the Creative Labs Nomad, and the Sony NW-E3 Network Walkman. Similar audio/video devices are now also contemplated. Users can easily transfer the compressed data files from their personal computer to a portable playback device where it is stored in memory within the playback device. Typically, this is accomplished through use of an adapter cable that is connected to the personal computer and playback device. One common type of memory is flash memory, which can hold data permanently without being powered. Such memory may be located within the playback device itself, located within a small removable memory card that is plugged into the playback device, or both. Microdrives are another type of memory device that is now being considered for use in playback devices.
Storage space within the playback device memory is of course limited, as are the number of memory cards that a user can conveniently carry. Accordingly, users have been heretofore forced to select a limited number of data files for storage within the portable playback device and memory cards before leaving their personal computer.